Public welcome as Court of Appeals, Div. I hears cases November 6 at Tukwila Justice Center

Public welcome as Court of Appeals, Div. I hears cases November 6 at Tukwila Justice Center

The Tukwila Municipal Court will host a panel of judges from Division I of the Washington State Court of Appeals to hear oral arguments on Thursday, November 6, 2025.

The court proceedings are open to the public and attendees are welcome to learn more about the role and operations of the Court of Appeals during a Q&A session directly following oral argument.

The hearings will begin at 9:30 a.m. at the Tukwila Justice Center located at 15005 Tukwila International Blvd., Tukwila, WA. They will be livestreamed and recorded by TVW.

Division I Judge Lori K. Smith has taken the lead on behalf of the court in coordinating and supporting this event in one of our most diverse communities.

"We always look forward to the opportunity to go out in the community and have court hearings in a location where members of the public can more easily attend in person. We are grateful to Judge Walden and her staff at the Tukwila Municipal Court for welcoming us and providing us with such a wonderful space to be able to do this," Judge Smith said. "Tukwila is such a vibrant and diverse community. We are looking forward to meeting with our neighbors, community leaders, educators, and students to discuss the work of the Court of Appeals after oral argument."

"We're honored to host the Division I Court of Appeals in Tukwila," Tukwila Municipal Court Judge Kimberly Walden said. "This event gives our community a unique opportunity to tour the Justice Center, see the appellate process firsthand and reflects our commitment to accessibility, transparency, and civic education."

Beginning at 9:30 a.m., Judge Lori K. Smith, Judge Bill A. Bowman and Judge Janet S. Chung will hear arguments in the following cases:

• 858092 - State of Washington v. Samuel L. Dugan
• 868331 - State of Washington v. Emanuel Kozma
• 867547 - Mariano Romulo v. Seattle Public Utilities
• 876295 - Michelle Zimmerman v. King County
• 872184 - MD Injury Care P.S. v. Centioli & Biesold LLC

Each argument will last approximately 20 minutes. Legal briefs and other filings in these cases can be found at the Appellate Courts Public Document Portal by selecting Court of Appeals and inputting the case number.

While all three divisions of the Court of Appeals may hear cases from trial courts throughout the state, Division I, located in Seattle, covers the northwest region of Washington which includes King, Snohomish, Skagit, Whatcom, San Juan and Island Counties.

Further information on the history, members and operations of the three divisions of the Washington Court of Appeals is available at Washington State Courts - Appellate and Trial Courts.

Contact: Court of Appeals, Div. I Clerk Lea Ennis, (206) 464-7750, [email protected].